NPPC seeks input on traceability standards

Oct 30, 2023

U.S. pork producers tasked the National Pork Producers Council with leading an effort to update the existing swine traceability system. NPPC is asking swine producers, veterinarians, cull swine and breeding operators and show pig enthusiasts to comment on the draft standards by Oct. 27.

In 2006, U.S. swine producers voluntarily adopted animal traceability standards to strengthen the ability to track animal movements with the goal of controlling the spread of animal diseases.

“Approximately 1 million pigs are in transit every day, giving diseases plenty of opportunities to spread,” Scott Hays, president and pork producer from Missouri, said in an NPPC news release. “With the growing threat of a foreign animal disease reaching the United States, the need to address gaps in our existing traceability system is important for our farms and our industry.”

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Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.